there stood the Banian tree.  “Where is the tree,” they inquired, “which has conquered all the trees?” “I am the tree,” said the Banian.  Then said the Tatangia, “I have come to fight with you.”  “Very good, let us fight” replied the Banian.  They fought.  A branch of the Banian tree fell, but Tatangia sprung aside and escaped.  Another fell—­ditto, ditto—­the Tatangia.  Then the trunk fell.  Tatangia again darted aside and escaped unhurt.  On this the Banian tree “buried its eyes in the earth,” and owned itself conquered.  As many of the towns and districts are spoken of figuratively by the names of trees noted for strength or beauty, the inference as to the real actors in these tree fights is obvious.  The present generation, however, will hardly admit that they may describe the wars of men.

The following is a specimen story of a piscatorial fight:—­A shark which had its habitat in a cave on the south side of Savaii mustered all the fish in the neighbourhood to go and fight with the great red fish of Manu’a.  The Manu’a fish with their red leader met them in the ocean between Tutuila and Manu’a.  They fought.  The Savaii fish were beaten, and fled pursued by their conquerors.  Most of them took refuge under stones and rocks and escaped, but their leader, the shark, fled to his own cave.  He was pursued, however, and killed by the red fish of Manu’a.  I tell them that the shark, red fish, etc., must have been mere figurative names for chiefs and districts, and the finny troops under them were doubtless living men, but in all these stories the Samoans are rigid literalists, and believe in the very words of the tradition.  And yet at the present day they have towns and districts bearing figurative names, distinct from the real names, such as the sword fish, the stinging ray, the dog, the wild boar, the Tongan cock, the frigate bird, etc.  And if such creatures had been known of old in Samoa, they would no doubt have had their bear, their lion, and their eagle, and stories too of their battles.

4.  We have also accounts of battles fought by the birds on the one side and the fish on the other.  The fish and the birds were in the habit of paying friendly visits to each other.  The inanga, or small fry of a fresh-water fish, were offended at not being hospitably received on shore by the birds; on the other hand, the birds despised the inanga for being so small.  They fought, and the fishes conquered, and it ended in the fish becoming birds and the birds fishes; and hence they say the back-bone of the inanga projects so much.  But after that there was another battle, in which the fish were beaten and the birds conquered; and ever since the birds have had their wings, and their supremacy, and the right of going to the sea, or the river, as they please, to pick up the fish which come within their reach.